Fowzie seeks quota of 8,000 Haj pilgrims this year

Senior Minister for Urban Affairs A H M Fowzie who leads the Haj delegation for talks with Saudi Arabian Haj Minister assured representatives of Haj operators that he would be making a request for an increased quota of 8,000 pilgrims from Sri Lanka.

He addressed a meeting of Haj operators and was hearing their suggestions for this year's Haj arrangements.

He will be heading the delegation and will have the meeting with the Saudi Arabian Haj Minister on 27th April, 2011.

The Minister expressed his gratitude to Dr Fouad Bin Abdul Salam Al Farisi, the Minister of Haj Affairs of Saudi Arabia for having acceded to his request last year too, to increase the quota from 2800 to 5800. He said that the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Sri Lanka Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman Al Jammaz has extended his support and cooperation to get this quota increased.

The minister said that he felt sorry to note that some elements are endeavouring to instigate the Haj delegation to present divergent views and to create division.

He hoped that the delegation members would be acting in a responsible manner protecting the reputation and goodwill that had been built over several years.

He also assured to take up the sufferings and discomfort the Haj pilgrims underwent last year although they were charged one thousand Saudi Riyals per head. The Haj operators unanimously passed a resolution, chaired by Senior Minister Fowzie condemning the Banki Moon Committee report as containing fictitious tales that aimed at attacking the good name of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and in an attempt to tarnish the image of our country. The Haj operators registered their strong protest to the arbitrary action of Banki Moon who has moved the action without any legal authority.